Apparatus for handling material



July 5 1932. v, w s 1,866,142

APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MATERIAL Filed March 15, 1930 lNVENTOR D. V. WATERS fiRN-W ATTORNEY Patented July 5, 1932 UNITED? STATES PATENT OFFICE? W DANIEL v. WATERS, or OA PARK, ILLInoIsf-AssiGnoR r0 WESTERN ELECTRIC oom- PANY, INCORPORATED, on NEW YO K, n. Y., A CORPORATION ornnw YORK APPARATUS FOR HANDLING MIATERIAL Application filed. March 15, 1930. Serial No. 436,165

This invention relates to an apparatus for handling material and more particularly to an apparatus for handling wire in a wire drawing apparatus.

An object of the invention is to provide a compact, efiicient and durable apparatus for handling strand material at high speeds.

One embodiment of the invention contemplates the provision in a wire drawing mechanism of a pair of spaced shafts, each supporting a stepped capstan and a group of individually rotatable idler sheaves. Each group of idler sheaves is placed opposite to the capstan which it serves, being mounted upon the shaft supporting the remaining capstan but rotatable upon an axis which is diagonal to those of the capstans.

The invent-ion will be more readily understood by reference to the following detailed description,read in conjunction with the accompanying drawing forming a part thereof, in which Y 1 Fig. 1 represents schematically, in front elevation, a wire drawing mill constituting one embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 2 shows an enlarged fragmentary plan section of the apparatus shown in Fig. 1.-

Referring to the drawing, wherein similar parts are indicated by identical reference numerals, a wire drawing apparatus,generally indicated by the numeral 10, consists ofa base 11 and an envelope or casing 12 for enclosing the apparatus. As shown in Fig. 2, the casing includes a rear wall 14 and, parallel therewith, a support 15. A motor 16, of any suitable type, is mounted at the rear of the casing and rotates, at any desired speed, a drive shaft 18. The drive shaft extends through the rear wall 14 and is journalled therein and in the support 15 so as to permit free rotation with respect thereto.- A main drive gear 19 is keyed to the shaft 18 and constitutes a common means for driving a low speed stepped capstan 20- and a high speed stepped capstan 21, which successively engage a wire 22 to be drawn. The high speed capstan is mounted upon and keyed-to a rotatable shaft 23 which is rotatably j ournalled in ballbearings 24-. mounted in the rear wall 14' of'th'e mill, Intermediate the rear wall and the sup? port 15, the shaft 23 is provided with a gear 26 which is keyed thereto, and by means of which the high speed capstan is driven from the gear 19. A stationary drum or trunnion 27 having a flange portion 28 secured to the support 15 is provided at the opposite end therefrom with a guard plate 29, which is provided with an axial aperture 30 through which extends the'shaft '23. The shaft 23 supports the drum 27, since the drum is provided with internal spaced roller bearings 3131, opera-ting between the shaft 23 and the flange 28 and the drum adjacent the plate 29, respectively, whereby the drum is permitted to rest upon the shaft without hindering the rotation of the latter. The capstan is suitably keyed upon that-portion of the shaft which projects beyond the drum or trunniomby means of a lock nut '32.-

In order to continually shift the wire across the surfaces of the steps of the capstan,so as to preventgroovingor other localiz'ed .wear by the wire therein, the axis of the outer cylindrical surface of the drum or trunnion is non-coincident, with'the axisof the shaft, 23, resulting in a peripheral slop ing surface 34 upon which are mounted so as to be freely rotatable by means of ball bearings 35, 35 a plurality of individually rotatable idler sheaves 36, 36. It will also be noted that the peripheral surfaces of the sheaves 36, '36 and the capstan 20 are inclined in opposite directions to distribute the wear on these surfaces. In the embodiment 'illustrated in Fig. 2,'a total of idler sheaves are used on the drum, to correspond with the number of steps with which the low speed capstan is provided. The position of the center line or axes of the idler sheaves is determined by the slope with which the peripheral surface 34 of the drum 27 is formed with relation to the center line of the shaft 23. In the particular instance, the difference between the axes or center'lines of the sheaves and the shaft 23 amounts to ap proximately 1 degrees, although this value may be varied, as where the width of the steps of the capstanis varied.

The low speed capstan 20 is mounted upon a shaft38 having a'main portion 39 which is parallel with the shaft 23, and an inclined portion 40 which is inclined from the plane of the main portion in the same degree by which the sloping periphery of the drum is inclined from the plane of the shaft 23. A cylinder 42 surrounds the main portion of the stationary shaft 38, being keyed thereto and provided with a flange 43 which is securely bolted to the rear wall 14 so as to msure the immovability of the shaft 38 in the aperture 44 formed in the rear wall for the purpose of accommodating the shaft therein. The support 15 is provided with a relatively large aperture 46 for receiving a tubular extension 47 of the capstan 20 which extends across the area between the rear wall and the support. A gear 48 which meshes with the gear 19 is keyed to the tubular extension for the purpose of rotating the capstan 20. It will be understood that the diameter of the gear 48 is substantially greater than that of the gear 26 and is provided with means of suitable ball bearings 51, 51. Within the casing 12 and between the idler sheaves 36, 36 and the low speed capstan 20 is rigidly mounted by any suitable means (not shown) a die box 54 by means of which a plurality of conventionally graduated dies 55, 55 are maintained for the purpose of drawing wire 22 as the latter is drawn therethrough by the low speed capstan. A similar die box 56 for holding a plurality of finer graduated dies 58 is rigidly mounted within the casing and between the idler sheaves 50, 50 and the high speed capstan 21.

In operation, the wire 22 is introduced to the. wire drawing mechanism from the right, through a suitable aperture which may be provided in the righthand wall of the easing 12 and is then strung with the dies 55 and 56 in the usual manner in the order of their decreasing bore diameters. The wire is then wound a number of times about the initial or lowest step of the low speed capstan,then passed around the idler sheave 36 adjacent the support 15, then through the die box 54 in which is engaged the die 55 having the largest bore. The wire is then wrapped around the next largest step of the low speed capstan, thence to the second sheave 36 and again through the die box 54 which engages the die having the next largest bore. The wire is then wrapped in succession around the remaining steps of the capstan and sheaves 36 in order, and the remalning dies 55 secured in the die holder 54. From the largest step of the low speed capstan the wire passes around the last idler sheave 36 adjacent to the guard plate 29 and thence around the idler sheave 50 adjacent to the low speed capstan 30. The wire is then passed through the die box 56, engaging therein the die 58 of the second series having the largest bore, and wrapped around the lowest step of the high speed capstan 21.

The second capstan and remaining sheaves 50, 50 are then wound with the wire in the manner indicated above, and the remaining dies 58 are secured in succession in the box 56. The wire passes from the last idler sheave 50 through the die box 56, around the largest step of the high speed capstan 21 and from the mill through any suitable aperture which may be provided in the left-hand wall of the casing 12, whence it may be wound upon any suitable take-up device (not shown).

The apparatus is particularly important in that it is compact and enables the drawing of wire at high speeds with a minimum of damage to the carrying surfaces of the cap-' stans. By mounting two sets of capstans and associated idlers upon only two shafts, the size of the apparatus is materially reduced than where separate shafts are used for each idler and capstan. By rotating the capstans about parallel shafts and mounting their respectively associated sheaves upon the shaft of the opposite capstan, and by providing that the sheaves are rotatable about axes whch are diagonal or non-coincident to those of the capstans, the continuous drawing of wire at high speeds about the nu merous steps of the capstans with'a minimum of deleterious grooving or frictional wear of the latter is achieved. 7

Another advantage secured by the use of the construction just described, is the simplicity of the gearing connections from driving motor tocapstans.

Although the invention as herein described and illustrated is particularly applicable to the drawing of wire, it should be understood that the novel features thereof are capable of other applications and modifications without departing from the spirit and scope thereof as defined in the appended claims.

- What is claimed is: i

1. In a strand working mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a capstan driven thereby and engaging the strand, and an idler sheave for mounted on the shaft and rotatable about an axis diagonal to that of the capstan for carry ing the strand.

4. In a strand working mechanism, a pair of shafts, a capstan mounted on each of the shafts for engaging a strand, each of said capstans having a tapered periphery and an idler sheave mounted on each of the shafts and rotatable about axes diagonal to those of the respective capstans for carrying the strand, each of said idler sheaves having a tapered periphery substantially parallel to the periphery of the capstan on the opposite shaft.

5. In a strand working mechanism, a die, a pair of parallel shafts, a capstan mounted on one of the shafts for drawing the strand through said die, and an idler sheave mounted on the other shaft and rotatable about an axis diagonal to that of the capstan for carrying the strand before it passes through said die.

6. In a strand working mechanism, a fixed pulling the wire, a drum surrounding the shaft and having an axis inclined thereto, an idler sheave mounted on the drum and rotatable about an axis parallel with the axis of the drum for carrying the wire, and reducing means engaging the Wire during its passage between the sheave and the capstan.

In witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 28th day of February A. D.

DANIEL V. WATERS.

shaft having a straight portion and a second straight portion inclined thereto, a capstan rotatable about the straight portion for engaging the strand and an idler sheave mounted on the inclined portion for carrying the strand.

7. In a strand working mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a capstan rotatable therewith, a drum surrounding the shaft and having an axis inclined thereto, and an idler sheave mounted on the drum rotatable about an axis parallel with the axis of the drum.

8. In a strandworking machine, a straight rotatable shaft, a bent fixed shaft having a portion parallel with the straight shaft, a fixed drum surrounding the straight shaft and having an axis inclined thereto, an idler sheave rotatable about the drum, a second fixed drum rotatable about the parallel por tion of the bent shaft, a capstan rotatable about the second fixed drum and mounted thereon opposite the idler, a second capstan keyed to the straight shaft, a second idler sheave rotatable about the bent portion of the bent shaft and mounted thereon opposite the second capstan, and common means for driving the second capstan at a low speed to draw the strand from the second idler and for driving the first capstan at a higher speed to draw the strand from the first idler.

9. In a wire drawing mechanism, a pair of shafts, a die mounted therebetween for forming the wire, a capstan mounted on each of the shafts for drawing the wire through the die, and an idler sheave mounted on each of the shafts and rotatable about an axis diagonal to that of the capstan on the same shaft for carrying the wire from the capstan on the other shaft.

10. In a wire drawing mechanism, a rotatable shaft, a capstan rotatable therewith for 

